On Washing Your Best Friend
by Mr Bellatrix Lestrange
Summary: Lily finds an adorable black dog on her front porch, and just wants to give it a bath. James, however, sees the dog for what it really is. His best friend. Fluffy.


**A/N: Love it? Hate it? Let me know. **

"But James, look at it. It's adorable!"

"I hardly think you could call a mutt like that... adorable." James grimaced.

"Oh, stop being such a killjoy." Lily grumbled, smacking James's shoulder and turning back to the dog. "He doesn't mean that precious," she said, in her voice reserved for dogs and other furry creatures.

"I most certainly do," he replied in the same voice, to which Lily glared viciously, and he stifled a laugh.

"Come on," Lily gestured, opening their front door nice and wide for the dog to navigate through.

When she'd yelled throughout the house that a dog was on their front porch, he expected to see a mangy terrier, or a cocker spaniel. One of the fruity dogs that lived around their cottage at this time a year. He hadn't, however, been prepared to see his best friend in Animagus form, head tilted gently to the side with that 'adopt me' kind of look going on. Lately, James had been tiptoeing around telling Lily about the Marauders being Animagi, as he wasn't really looking forward to that stony look he got whenever he kept things from her. Sirius though, being the sneak he was, must've decided that he'd waited long enough, and thus decided _for_ him. How generous.

"Lily..." James sighed, following the two down the hall. Photographs on the walls were craning their painted heads to try and see what the couple would be fighting about _this _time. "Our house is hardly equipped for such a... big... dog."

"Relax James," Lily giggled, as the dog nudged her with his wet nose. James felt himself get irrationally jealous, suddenly, at the attention she was paying Padfoot. "I'm just going to give him a bath. What harm can that do, right?"

Groaning, his cheeks heating up, he walked into their bathroom too. If dogs could smile, James knew _exactly_ what kind of grin would be on Padfoot's face. The dog barked happily as Lily drew the water on their porcelain tub, and pushed aside the yellow curtain. "You can help me, right James?" she asked, debating between two soap bottles in her hands. When she turned to him, he found himself hard-pressed not to give in. And he found himself unable to turn down Lily half of the time as it was.

"Please..." she breathed, closing the distance between them and wrapping herself into his arms. He bent down to reach her mouth for a kiss, which quickly turned into multiple kisses - Lily's hands in his back pockets, and his tangled in her fiery hair - before Padfoot barked again, and Lily smiled against his lips, turning away.

"Alright alright," she said, ushering the dog into the tub, as James appeared at her side. She began to pour generous amounts of soap into the water, until it was thick and frothy with bubbles, before reaching her hands in to settle it on top of Padfoot's black fur. "Come on James, careful not to get the soap in its eyes."

Grinning maliciously, James help her apply the bubbles. It seemed a rather useless job to him, but whatever they were doing must've worked, because just then Padfoot shook his entire dog body, spraying them and the entire bathroom with soap and water.

Shrieking momentarily, Lily collapsed into a fit of giggles against James. He hardly thought that that was an accident, but seeing Lily lose control at such a simple act made him smile; and soon he, too, was laughing.

Before he knew what was happening, Lily was cupping the white bubbles in her hands and throwing them at him. "Oh, so that's how were going to play it," he asked incredulously, and grabbed for the shower head attached to the basin. Waving it at her, she immediately put her hands up.

"I surrender," she gasped, leaning into James so that he couldn't get her. As an alternative, James settled with spraying the now-barking Padfoot to shut him up. They were both soaked to the skin and breathless, but James was sure Lily had never looked prettier than with her hair slicked back and her blouse and shorts watered down, bubbles in their hair, and everywhere else in the room. They shared one last kiss before Lily tried to escape, instead managing to slip on the wet tiles and grasp the sink for support.

"I'll meet you upstairs," James said to her retreating back, and he smiled just at the prospect.

"And _you_," he said, turning to face his friend. Padfoot very quickly became Sirius, sitting in their bathtub, (_thankfully_ covered by the remainder of the bubbles) practically wheezing with laughter.

"This'll make for great pillow talk mate!" he cried, " 'You know that dog you just washed is actually Sirius!' "

James just proceeded to spray him clean, before throwing him out of their house. "And you're not adorable," he added, before running up to meet his Lily.


End file.
